3 Inspiring Women Share Their Picks For LGBTQ+ History Month
Talulah-Eve
Talulah-Eve is a TV personality, influencer and the first transgender contestant to appear on Britain's Next Top Model.
THE BOOK: The Transgender Issue: An Argument For Justice By Shon Faye
This book is an honest portrayal of how transgenderism fits within our society. It goes in depth to expose the hardships trans people face in all aspects of life, including discrimination in the workplace and from family members, plus the lack of support in the healthcare system. This book gives the community a very authentic and well-presented voice, and quite literally an argument for justice. An insightful tool for allies looking to better their understanding of the transgender community.
Visit Waterstones.com
THE BRAND: Femme Forte
Femme Forte is an independent brand based in Brighton which sells sustainable, ethical and gender-neutral fashion and home accessories. It was originally created to raise funds for the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre, and now sells everything from slogan tees and tote bags to colourful framed prints. Now is the perfect time to support independent brands created by people in the community.
Visit @WeAreFemmeForte
THE TED TALK: ‘A Short History Of Trans People's Long Fight For Equality’ By Samy Nour Younes
Samy Nour Younes is a trans actor and activist who highlights the diversity of the trans experience. In his powerful Ted Talk, he shares the remarkable, centuries-old history of the trans community, filled with courageous stories, inspiring triumphs, and a fight for civil rights that's been ongoing for a decades. "Imagine how the conversation would shift if we acknowledge just how long trans people have been demanding equality," he says.
Visit Ted.com
THE INSTA FOLLOW: MJ Rodriguez
MJ Rodriguez is smashing it right now. She’s the lead actress from Pose and the first trans woman to win a Golden Globe for her role as Blanca in the series. It’s my favourite LGBTQ+ show as it provides great insight into what life was like for the community in 80s New York, particularly for trans women of colour. As well as documenting the terrifying times when Aids ravaged through the community, it also shows the celebratory side of ballroom culture.
Follow @MJRodriguez7 and watch Pose here.
Danielle St James
Danielle is the founder of Not a Phase, a charity which supports the lives of trans adults living in the UK.
THE PODCAST: Harsh Reality: The Story of Miriam Rivera
This incredible podcast tells the behind-the-scenes story of what happened with the production of There’s Something About Miriam, a TV show in the early noughties which had a similar premise to The Bachelor. Six guys entered a villa in Ibiza to compete for the love of the beautiful and mysterious Miriam, and a cash prize. Miriam was a 21-year-old Mexican model – the show was supposed to be her big break. At the end of the show, it was revealed that Miriam was trans. The whole thing was handled terribly, and this podcast highlights the systematic failures in how our society treats trans people.
Listen here
THE FILM: Boy Erased
I recently sat down and watched Boy Erased. It’s a film about the damaging and potentially lethal effects of conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ adolescents. Jared Eamons, the son of a small-town Baptist pastor, is terrified when he is outed as gay to his parents. His father and mother struggle to reconcile their love for their son with their beliefs. Feeling rejected by his family, friends and community, Jared is pressured into attending a conversion therapy programme. It’s a heart-breaking film but very poignant, as many countries around the world are currently debating how they can tackle conversion therapy.
Visit Amazon.co.uk
THE EXHIBITION: Leigh Bowery: Tell Them I’ve Gone To Papua New Guinea
Go and see the Leigh Bowery exhibition at Fitzrovia Chapel. Leigh was an architect of queer nightlife who sadly passed away of Aids-related complications in the 90s. The exhibition is small, showcasing some of his outfits, with a documentary of interviews with the people that were closest to him. It’s incredibly moving and Fitzrovia Chapel is such a gorgeous little place – the last remaining building of a large hospital that was the hub of Aids treatment in London during the 80s and 90s. It’s such an important building for queer heritage, I’m even getting married there.
Visit FitzroviaChapel.org
THE TV SHOW: Veneno
I recommend this TV show to everyone. It’s the dramatised biopic of the life of Cristina Ortiz Rodríguez, aka La Veneno, a Spanish trans icon in the 90s and early noughties. She was a sex worker who happened to get caught in a news report which catapulted her to fame. It perfectly captures the lives and struggles of trans people – plus, it’s in Spanish so the subtitles really make you engage with the story.
Zoë Chowney
Zoe is a trans woman, tech entrepreneur, public speaker, write, and campaigner for the LGBTQ+ community. She is also the co-chair of Gay Women's Network and Pride in Business, which supports the community in the workplace.
THE ESSENTIAL READ: Sensible Footwear: A Girl’s Guide By Kate Charlesworth
This book provides a fascinating insight into lesbian life from 1950 to the present day. It features gay icons like Dusty Springfield, Billie Jean King, Dirk Bogarde and Alan Turing, as well as key moments such as Stonewall, Gay Pride and Section 28, which prevented the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities, including in schools. In 1950, male homosexuality carried a custodial sentence. But female homosexuality had never been an offence in the UK, effectively rendering lesbians even more invisible than they already often were. Growing up in Yorkshire during this time, the author had to find role models wherever she could, mostly in books, film and TV.
Visit Waterstones.com
THE DOCUMENTARY: Changing The Game
This film explores the experiences of trans people in sports and asks the question: is it fair for trans people to compete in the gender category they identify with? In the doc, high-school athletes from across the country compete at the top of their fields, while also challenging the boundaries and perceptions of fairness and discrimination. Personally, I think it’s unfair for trans women to compete competitively in female-only sports. Whether you agree or not, this film presents both sides of the argument.
Visit Hulu.com
THE CONVERSATION: International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia
I recorded this podcast last year for the most recent International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT). It’s a very honest look into my experience transitioning, how it affected me as an entrepreneur, and the impact it has had on my family life. I also discuss going back to work after transitioning, and what needs to happen for the trans community to feel safe in the office, especially when you hear 41% of trans people in the UK had been subject to a hate crime within the last year.
Listen here
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